The Department of Clinical Psychology, “KAPMIAHS conducted a workshop on Assessment and psychotherapy with children and adolescents: A broad overview” by Dr. Anupama Vijayaraghavan, Assistant Professor, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal equipping trainees with practical skills to assess children across developmental, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains. The sessions combined theory with hands-on training in standardized tools like the Binet-Kamat, Vineland Social Maturity Scale, CBCL, and Conners. Students practiced observational techniques, interviewing parents and teachers, and ethical report writing using the 5 Ps model for case formulation.

The workshop emphasized a holistic and culturally sensitive approach to understanding and supporting children. A significant focus was placed on developing observational and interviewing skills. The students,  were trained to observe children’s play, attention span, emotional responses, and social interactions in the therapeutic setting. Interviewing strategies for parents and teachers  were discussed in depth, encouraging a comprehensive developmental, academic,  and  psychosocial   history. The  ethical dimensions of child assessment were deeply woven into each segment, especially with regard to obtaining informed consent and assent, avoiding pathologizing normal variations, and adopting a strength-based, culturally respectful stance.